^{page v note 1} The most complete account of the three brothers hitherto published is The Sherley Brothers, by E. P. Shirley, printed for the Roxburghe Club, Chiswick, 1848.

^{page vi note 1} See also an article by myself in the Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, Vol. VII, Pt. 2, 1934.Google Scholar

^{page 1 note 1} This can only refer to the first collisions between the Arabs and Turks in Transoxiana.

^{page 2 note 1} giaur, from the Persian gabr or gaur, = fire-worshipper, hence from the Islamic standpoint, pagan or infidel.

^{page 2 note 2} The Arabic ‘arz, still in common use for a petition throughout the Muslim East.

^{page 2 note 3} Khatt-i-humāyūn, the imperial writing.

^{page 3 note 1} Slavonia.

^{page 3 note 2} Modon, a Venetian maritime colony in Southern Greece.

^{page 3 note 3} Gio = Chios = Scio.

^{page 3 note 4} Ahmad I (1603–17) was fourteen years of age when he came to the throne.

^{page 3 note 5} Faythefull beleuer [Author's Note].

^{page 4 note 1} The cheyffe [Author's Note].

^{page 4 note 2} Sultanas are ladyes of the Create Turke his bloodde (Author's Note).

^{page 4 note 3} The Turks had actually a fairly extensive literature including both history and poetry. Travellers in Turkey and Persia at this period often failed to obtain accurate information on the subject of Islamic literature.

^{page 4 note 4} For example, the famous Sinan Pasha (Cicala Zada) was a Genoese renegade to Islam: he held many important civil and military posts under the Sultans, and died in 1605.

^{page 4 note 5} Selīm II (1566–74), Murād III (1574–95), Muhammad III (1595–1603).

^{page 5 note 1} Rhodes.

^{page 6 note 1} Respectively the mercenary foot-guards, the horse-guards, and the feudal lords.

^{page 6 note 2} Oglande is a boye [Author's Note].

^{page 6 note 3} The words “hitche” and “jamm” stand for the Turkish ich = internal, and ‘ajami = foreign. “Oglandes” is a corruption of the Turkish oghlan = young man. Ich oglan was the name given to the Sultan's pages.

^{page 6 note 4} 20 aspers make one shillinge starlinge [Author's Note].

^{page 6 note 5} Tīmārī (or Timariots) so called from tīmār, a fief.

^{page 7 note 1} This refers to the famous Jalālī rebellion in Asia Minor, which began on the death of Sultan Murād III.

^{page 7 note 2} Lance de gaye, a kind of lance, from the old French lancegaye.

^{page 7 note 3} Iogo de toro, bull-baiting.

^{page 7 note 4} Iogo de cano, the friendly sport of throwing pointless spears by men on horseback.

^{page 7 note 5} Saniacke, the next title to a bashawe [Author's Note]. Sanjaq = district; the governor was called sanjaq beg.

^{page 7 note 6} The last battle referred to is, no doubt, the capture of Tabriz. By Babylon Baghdad is intended, but this was not lost to the Persians until 1623. Argerimen = Azerbaijan; Caramante = Qaraman; Tiflis is of course an error for Tabriz. Shāh ‘Abbās I ruled Persia 1587–1629.

^{page 8 note 1} Algiers.

^{page 8 note 2} Rudolf II (1576–1612).

^{page 8 note 3} Stephen Bocskai (King of Hungary and Voivod of Transylvania), who, in order to maintain the independence of Transylvania, called the Turks to his aid against the Emperor in 1605.

^{page 8 note 4} This evidently refers to the long journey overland from Negropont to Constantinople made by the author as a prisoner. See Introduction, p. vi.

^{page 9 note 1} In a rough sea.

^{page 9 note 2} A coarse, woollen cloth. The name is possibly derived from Kersey, a place in Suffolk.

^{page 9 note 3} Ship's husband = agent managing the business of a ship for owners.

^{page 9 note 4} The island of Milos.

^{page 10 note 1} Chikinoe is 7 shillings & six pens starlinge [Author's Note]. Chikinoes = sequins.

^{page 10 note 2} There is some confusion in this sentence, as 2 marks would exceed 18 shillings.

^{page 10 note 3} Hake salted and dried for food.

^{page 10 note 4} Truffles.

^{page 10 note 5} Iskandarun, or Alexandretta.

^{page 10 note 6} Scio, or Chios.

^{page 11 note 1} Angel, a 15th-century English gold coin, bearing the figure of the Archangel Michael, worth in Sherley's time about ten shillings.

^{page 11 note 2} Sultan Ahmad I (1603–17).

^{page 11 note 3} Resident ambassador.

^{page 11 note 4} It. bailo.

^{page 11 note 5} The Signory sent Giovanni Mocenigo di Girolamo (ambassador) and Ottaviano Bon di Alessandro (bailo) on this embassy; the returning bailo was Francesco Contarini di Bertucci.

^{page 11 note 6} Nobles.

^{page 11 note 7} Galata was the European Quarter of Constantinople.

^{page 12 note 1} Foist, a small ship with sails and oars.

^{page 12 note 2} Cf. the account in Calendar of State Papers (Venetian), 1603–7, London, 1900.

^{page 12 note 3} Gall-nuts.

^{page 13 note 1} Henry Lello was English ambassador to the Porte from 1597 to 1607.

^{page 13 note 2} Seralia the name of the Turke his courte [Author's Note].

^{page 13 note 3} Mr. Stopers must be Mr. Richard Staper, a governor and founder of the Levant Company. (See SirFoster, William's England's Quest of Eastern Trade, London, 1933Google Scholar, and Wood, A. C.'s History of the Levant Company, Oxford, 1935.)Google Scholar

^{page 14 note 1} Jean de Gontaut-Biron, Baron de Salignac, was appointed French Ambassador to the Porte in 1604. He has left a record of his sojourn in Turkey.

^{page 16 note 1} Straits of Scutari.

^{page 16 note 2} The Archipelago.

^{page 16 note 3} Possibly Carystos.

^{page 17 note 1} Candi = Candia = Crete.

^{page 17 note 2} Milos.

^{page 18 note 1} Cadi is a iudge [Author's Note].

^{page 18 note 2} Now called Kimolos.

^{page 18 note 3} Possibly the modern Siphnos, formerly called Siphanto.

^{page 18 note 4} Calamite, rock alum, and carbonate of ammonia.

^{page 19 note 1} Albanians.

^{page 19 note 2} St. Paul's.

^{page 19 note 3} Nocera(?).

^{page 20 note 1} King Bohemund died in 1111.

^{page 20 note 2} Ascoli Apulo.

^{page 20 note 3} Bastard.

^{page 20 note 4} Philip III (1598–1621).

^{page 20 note 5} Apulia.

^{page 20 note 6} Charles V. There is no foundation in fact for this statement. All the viceroys were Spaniards.

^{page 20 note 7} Juan Alfonso Pimentel d'Errere, Count of Benevento, Viceroy 1603–10.

^{page 21 note 1} Sir Tobie Matthew writing from Florence on August 8th, 1606, says: “Sr. Thomas Shirley hath longe since shaken off his fetters and lives in Naples like a gallant.”

Thomas's brother Anthony, who at this time held a naval post in Naples, was then absent in Morocco.

^{page 22 note 1} Castel dell'Ovo, situated on a small island now joined to the shore by a causeway at the foot of the Pizzofalcone. The castle was restored in the sixteenth century.

^{page 22 note 2} Posilippo. The cave would be the grotto constructed by Marcus Agrippa in 27 B.C.

^{page 23 note 1} Fernando Ruiz de Castro, Conde de Lemos was Viceroy of Naples 1599–1603, and Pedro Fernandez de Castro, Conde de Lemos held the same office 1610–16. It is not clear which of the two is intended in this passage.

^{page 23 note 2} The port of Ansidonia, so called owing to its alleged foundation by Hercules.

^{page 23 note 3} Leghorn. Cosimo and Francesco del Medici had laid the foundations of the modern town, but its development was mainly due to Ferdinand I, Grand Duke of Tuscany, 1587–1609.

^{page 24 note 1} A naval order founded by Cosimo del Medici in 1561; the church was built 1565–96.

^{page 24 note 2} The reading of “rni” in the MS. is doubtful. It is probable that the Church of the Santissima Annunziata is intended here.

^{page 24 note 3} Ferdinand dei Medici opened up commerce with England and the Baltic. Anti-Turkish privateering was rife at this time, and Tuscan squadrons were sometimes commanded by English adventurers. Thomas Shirley himself sailed under the banner of the Grand Duke in 1602.

^{page 25 note 1} The Bentivogli.

^{page 25 note 2} Benedetto Giustiniani, Cardinal and Papal Legate.

^{page 25 note 3} The family Giustiniani had their origin in Venice. Schio lies c. 50 miles to the north-west of Venice.

^{page 25 note 4} Alfonso II, d. 1597.

It is interesting to recall that it was with a view to helping Cesare d'Este against the Pope that Thomas Sherley's two brothers, Anthony and Robert, travelled to Italy in 1598, only to find when they reached Augsburg that the dispute had been decided in the Pope's favour.

^{page 26 note 1} Elba.

^{page 26 note 2} Now called Portoferraio.

^{page 26 note 3} Presumably Siena.

^{page 26 note 4} Presumably Arezzo.

^{page 27 note 1} Saluzzo.

^{page 27 note 2} Piacenza.

^{page 27 note 3} Urbino.

^{page 27 note 4} Friuli.

^{page 28 note 1} Slavonia.

^{page 28 note 2} The March of Ancona.

^{page 28 note 3} Exarchate.

^{page 28 note 4} Rovigo belonged to Venice from the year 1484.

^{page 28 note 5} Albanians.

^{page 28 note 6} To imprest = to advance on loan.

^{page 28 note 7} The Venetians gained possession of Padua in 1404.

^{page 28 note 8} Camillo Borghese, Pope Paul V, May 1605–January 1621.

^{page 29 note 1} Henri IV (1589–1610).

^{page 29 note 2} Cardinal François de Joyeuse, Archbishop of Rouen (1562–1615).

^{page 30 note 1} Pedro Henriquez de Acevedo, Conde de Fuentes, governor of Milan, 1600–10.

^{page 30 note 2} This seems to refer to the eastern (Austrian) part of Friuli.

^{page 30 note 3} Rudolf II, Emperor 1576–1612.

^{page 31 note 1} Sigismund III of Poland (1587–1632).

^{page 31 note 2} This must be Duke William V (d. 1626), a devout pupil of the Jesuits, who retired to a monastery in 1597. The Jesuits had gone to Bavaria in 1542; in 1556 a Jesuit College had been founded in connection with the University of Ingolstadt, which became the German headquarters of the Society.

^{page 31 note 3} Robert Parsons (1546–1610), Rector of the English College at Rome.

^{page 32 note 1} The Council of Trent, 1545–63.

^{page 32 note 2} The Archduke Maximilian, brother to the Emperor Rudolf and Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, was Governor of Tyrol.

^{page 33 note 1} Voivod. Stephen Bocskai was invested with the Voivodship of Transylvania and the kingdom of Hungary in 1605. See p. 8 above.

^{page 33 note 2} Peace of Zsitva-Torok, November 1606.

^{page 34 note 1} Stuttgart. Frederick I (1557–1608) was then Duke of Würtemberg.

^{page 34 note 2} Pfalzgraf = Count Palatine. The author was entertained by Frederick IV (1574–1610), whose son, afterwards Frederick V, married Elizabeth the “Queen of Hearts.”

^{page 35 note 1} Mainz.

^{page 36 note 1} Cologne.

^{page 36 note 2} The Elector Ernest of Cologne (1583–1612), brother of Duke William V of Bavaria.

^{page 36 note 3} Francolino.

^{page 36 note 4} Probably a mistake for Como.

^{page 36 note 5} Possibly Bergamo.

^{page 36 note 6} Possibly Partenkirchen.

^{page 37 note 1} Flat open country.

^{page 37 note 2} Mainz.

^{page 37 note 3} This is the Diet eventually held at Ratisbon in January 1608, when the place with the Turks and the election of the King of the Romans were in fact the chief subjects for discussion. See Introduction, p. vi.

^{page 38 note 1} Christian IV (1588–1648).

^{page 38 note 2} Duke Maximilian I of Bavaria (1573–1651), who had succeeded on his father's abdication in 1597. See p. 31 n.

^{page 38 note 3} Here the narrative ends on f. 70, and on f. 90 appears the Table of Contents printed on p. 39. The numbers refer to the folios of the manuscript. Identifications, where these seemed necessary, have been supplied in square brackets.